Ethan’s stomach twisted. “Willingly?” he repeated, voice tight. “She just gave birth! She’s exhausted, she can barely stand, and you think she just… walks out to meet someone?!” His hands clenched into fists, the bouquet forgotten on the floor.
The detective held up a hand, voice measured. “We’re just covering all possibilities, sir. Right now, we need to find her. That number—whoever it is—might have crucial information.”
Ethan’s mind raced. He tried to recall any odd messages, any calls she might have whispered about, anything unusual—but nothing. Nothing. His eyes darted to the phone again, the text thread glowing like a warning. Time’s running out.
“Can you trace it?” he demanded. “Find out where it’s coming from. Please.”
The officer nodded. “We can ping the number, see if it leads anywhere nearby. But it could take a few minutes.”
Minutes. Every second stretched taut in Ethan’s chest. He felt as if the world had narrowed to a thin corridor of panic: Lina, their baby, the unknown stranger on the other end of those messages.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed—an incoming call from an unrecognized number. Ethan froze, heart hammering. He glanced at the officers. “Should I—?”
“Yes,” the detective said, voice firm. “Answer it. It might be her—or someone who can help us find her.”
Ethan pressed the screen, a single trembling finger. The line clicked, then a voice, urgent and low, whispered:
“Ethan… listen carefully. She’s with me. But you have to stay calm. Don’t call the police again or she’ll move.”
The room seemed to tilt. Ethan’s pulse thundered. Every thought collided—fear, relief, fury, confusion. “Who… who is this?” he demanded.
The voice sighed, sharp and deliberate. “We don’t have time. Meet me at the east pier. Ten minutes. Alone. And… bring nothing else. You want your family back? You follow exactly.”
The call ended abruptly. Ethan’s grip on the phone was white-knuckled. He looked at the officers, who were now tense, sensing the danger.
“This is… serious,” the detective said slowly. “Do you know the east pier?”
“Yes,” Ethan said, voice trembling, “I can get there. I have to.”
Time had become a knife-edge, every second slicing closer to a reunion—or disaster.